The Haines School Board will decide on non-tenured teacher contracts, new hires and a salary adjustment for the school principal at its Tuesday meeting.
The board will vote on a science teacher contract with Ashley Hutton, who has seven years of experience teaching in Alaska, most recently in Craig. Hutton would replace Mark Fontenot during his year-long leave of absence. Kelsey Harrell is set to be hired as a para-professional effective January 30.
Wendy Albrecht is resigning as a special education teacher at the end of the year, and Rick Martin is resigning as high school custodian effective mid-February.
The board will decide whether to revise Principal and teacher Cheryl Stickler’s contract and give her a salary boost of about $15,000 to compensate her for extra work she has taken on that is not included in her current part-time principal, part-time teacher contract.
Stickler said in a letter to the school board last month that she asked former Superintendent Michael Byer to extend her principal position to full time, but he denied the request.
Superintendent Ginger Jewell says the school district will get an influx of about $220,000 in state funds for an enrollment increase from 244 to 268 students. That will pay for Stickler’s salary adjustment and the new paraprofessional hire. Jewell says the leftover money will likely pay for new textbooks.
Jewell will update the board with results from a survey asking parents whether they would send their children to Mosquito Lake School. Jewell says only one person has responded “yes” to the online survey. Dana Hallett of Friends of Mosquito Lake School says they have found six students and are waiting to hear back from some parents.
The school board meeting is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the school library.
